School board sees $33.7m budget as 'starting point' for discussion

LAKEVILLE — The Freetown-Lakeville School Committee met last week to vote on the proposed FY2014 budget number of $33.7 million, reflecting a preference for the "tier 2" option as presented at numerous public meetings, to bring to the towns' selectmen. Despite the significance of this step in the budget cycle, committee and audience members were reminded that the number presented that night is a "starting point."

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By MATTHEW FERREIRA

southcoasttoday.com

By MATTHEW FERREIRA

Posted Mar. 28, 2013 at 11:16 AM

By MATTHEW FERREIRA

Posted Mar. 28, 2013 at 11:16 AM

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LAKEVILLE — The Freetown-Lakeville School Committee met last week to vote on the proposed FY2014 budget number of $33.7 million, reflecting a preference for the "tier 2" option as presented at numerous public meetings, to bring to the towns' selectmen. Despite the significance of this step in the budget cycle, committee and audience members were reminded that the number presented that night is a "starting point."

The "tier 2" option, school officials have said, would preserve existing programs and services, while the other options would require layoffs and other cuts.

"I'm going to recommend to the school committee tonight to adopt the full budget request knowing this is a starting point for our communities and that over the course of the next couple of months we're going to be working to provide an adequate budget that can be funded by the communities but can also provide what we need here as a school community to effectively educate our children," said interim Superintendent Dr. Jessica Huizenga.

Before taking a vote, Chairman David Goodfellow invited discussion by committee members pertaining to the number.

"I guess I'll be blunt," said committee member John Olivieri, "I've heard on a couple occasions ... why, if we know that this is 'just a starting point', are we even going to use that number? In all reality we know right now that the communities are not going to be able to support this."

Mr. Olivieri said he was in favor of the tier 2 budget in terms of what it provides educationally, but he said he does not think the voted number will stand.

"Obviously we have to vote a budget number," said Mr. Goodfellow, noting that the state aid number is still up in the air, as is what the towns will be able to afford. " I share your frustration. I wish we had the answers we really need — they're just not here yet."

Committee member Derek Gracia pointed out that low class size was the number one priority when the two towns agreed to fully regionalize.

"At a minimum we have to deliver that ... Anything below that fails miserably," he said.

"We kind of come to a point in our budget cycle over the last 2 years where our costs are just far exceeding what our revenue is," said Dr. Huizenga. "And John, to your point, I think the towns have made very clear that even our base budget is going to require an override ... When you're at that point where that base budget is going to have class sizes exceeding 30 from K-12 it puts us in an interesting quandary where yes, there's no line drawn in the sand but we're kind of at a point in our system ... where something has to be done and so my question is ... why not go to the public and ask for the educational program we feel we can best deliver on the future of their kids?"

Mr. Olivieri argued that a more realistic number of what the towns would be willing to pay would be better to support.

"A number of folks have told me that Freetown doesn't even want to put the ballot out there to have an override, so what does that do?" Said Mr. Olivieri. "I'm more interested in focusing down and getting as close to what is realistic as we can as opposed to going through this process that just drags out and causes a lot of angst for people."

Committee member Robert Noguiera argued that the voters in Freetown can get 10 signatures together to have a warrant article put on the town meeting warrant by petition if the elected officials are against allowing the voters to have their say with an override.

The motion to accept $33.7 million as the initial budget number was approved by majority vote.

Following the budget vote, the school committee discussed the district's next move concerning its superintendent-dilemma as a cancelled search has left them without a permanent replacement for Dr. Huizenga.

Massachusetts Association of School Committees representative and liaison to the district throughout the search process Glenn Koocher provided Mr. Goodfellow with a list of 62 names of potential candidates including retired superintendents to serve as interim while the district waits for the search process to reboot.

The committee decided to assign Mr. Goodfellow and Vice Chairman Robert Clark to interview a selection of candidates and ultimately determining the one who will be hired as interim. Their findings are to be presented at the next school committee meeting. which was to be held last night.

As for a permanent superintendent, the school committee decided to "table" all discussions on reopening the search until their first meeting in April.